Oregon Congressmen Peter DeFazio and Greg Walden have introduced H.R. 17, the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2007, legislation that would reauthorize the "county payments law" law for seven more years.

The original law has paid an estimated $500 million annually to states and rural counties based on a formula that incorporated historical timber receipts for those areas. The funds are to be used for education, roads and county services in rural areas.

California's most recent payment reached $68 million, with Lake County receiving about $1 million. Lake County's portion was split between the county's road department and area schools. Upper Lake's high school and elementary school received, combined, about $240,000, according to figures provided by the Lake County Office of Education.

Congressman Mike Thompson signed on as a co-sponsor of a bill introduced almost two years ago that would have reauthorized the original county payments law by withholding taxes from federal government contractors.

That bill, however, languished in Congress, and no vote was held on the bill before the 109^th Congress adjourned in December.

Part of the reason for that bill's death, said Thompson, was political pressure from the business community.

Thompson also is listed as a co-sponsor of HR 17, which was referred to the House Committee on Agriculture as well as the Committee on Natural Resources.

E-mail Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

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